Power Up: Fire Up Your Belly!

Have you ever heard that phrase “fire in the belly?” Although I always understood what that meant in a colloquial sense, I’d rarely experienced it for myself—or seen it up close.

That is, until my teacher, Cora Wen, fired up hers.

Standing in Your Power

I was recently at a yoga teacher training with Cora, and after meditation, she decided to share with us from a deep place of passion. We’d already namasted, so I was packing up my bag and getting ready to leave.

That is, until I heard her open her mouth.

When I heard the power behind her words, I turned my head, stopped what I was doing and became glued (at least energetically) to my seat. I noticed that everyone else was doing the same. In fact, I’m pretty sure none of us took a breath.

Earth

What she shared was how profoundly meditation and yoga have changed her life. She also told us that the path of yoga is long, often difficult and not for everyone—but for those who stay with it, look out.

For me as a student and teacher, her words matter less than what she modeled, which was a moment of true embodiment and power.

In reflecting on this experience, I realized that we rarely see people share from their gut with conviction—especially in a way that doesn’t get reflected as anger. When Cora spoke with us, she wasn’t angry.

But she was on fire.

New Meaning of Belly

The belly is a loaded area of the body for many of us. Or, at least, I know it is for me. If I notice someone looking at my belly, I feel uncomfortable and immediately project all the terrible things they must be thinking about it. And I used to hate when my husband touched it—even if accidentally.

But now? I’m starting to pay my belly some respect. Not only is it essential to, well, just about everything—including digestion and holding us upright—it’s also a seat of enormous power.

Anna Guest-Jelley is the founder of Curvy Yoga, a training and inspiration portal offering body-positive yoga classes, workshops, teacher trainings, retreats, a virtual studio and an in-person studio in Nashville, TN, for people of all shapes and sizes. Anna is also the co-editor of Yoga and Body Image: 25 Personal Stories About Beauty, Bravery & Loving Your Body. Visit the Curvy Yoga website for more details: http://www.curvyyoga.com/